Oil Minister Backs Iranian Creative Talents
IRAN NEWS ECONOMIC DESK
TEHRAN – Oil Minister Bijan Zanganeh has set up a new initiative to support domestic manufacturers by guaranteeing purchase of their quality items needed in the petroleum industry.
Addressing the first innovation event of the Iranian Oil Ministry, “Petroleum Takeoff”, on Monday morning, Zanganeh said, “Back in 1997, no Iranian university enrolled students in the upstream sector of the petroleum industry, but we are doing well in this field currently.”
He added the first phase of nine contracts in the upstream sector, five exploration contracts, and 12 contracts for construction of downstream institutes with universities have been carried out and their second phase is about to commence.
Zanganeh said that the oil ministry intended that universities become more involved in solving petroleum industry problems and that the industry support them in return.
He also stated: “We are going to guarantee to purchase the products of producers necessary for oil industry provided that they can take the necessary standards and quality licenses. This is a new development which gives hope to the producer because as the production begins we will not let the ministry’s related organizations purchase a similar product from foreign countries.”
The minister expressed his full support of knowledge-based companies and underlined that he would share his experience and hopeful about Iran’s creative youth.
He also paid a visit to the Supply and Demand exhibition which is held on the sideline of this event.
Zanganeh stated in his speech that the oil ministry has taken good steps in strengthening the oil industry.
“For example, we have created new majors related to oil in our university and have tried to empower the relationship between universities and the oil industry. In this regard, 26 projects have been implemented which their first phases have been finished and the second phase is in process,” the high ranking official went on to say.
The research center is a venue for researchers who want to work in the oil industry.
The minister added: “We also support startups and knowledge-based companies and 100 billion Toman has been allocated to it.”
Zangeneh said that the central bank of Iran (CBI) was to bankroll Siraf refining project by investing Rls. 200,000 billion in the plan.
He added that the project was under way and the central bank had agreed to fund it.
